Travelodge has opened its largest hotel to date, a new £60 million property on London's City Road.
The hotel is a part new-build, part-conversion of the Grade II listed former Singer headquarters, with 392 guest rooms. The bedrooms, which cover seven floors, incorporate some aspects of the brand's new room design (see online news August 2), including flat-screen TVs, wifi, white-linen bedding, window blinds and new sofa-beds. However, as work on the City Road property was well underway before the redesign was completed, certain aspects – such as the blue, white and red colour-scheme, mood lighting and wall-mounted TVs – have not been introduced to this property.
Eating options at the hotel include a newly-launched dinner menu, which is available from the hotel's signature Bar Café, as well as an enhanced breakfast buffet menu, with all you can eat for £7.50 per head (10 per cent discount if you book breakfast online). Perhaps unexpectedly for a Travelodge, the City Road property also has five simply-furnished meeting rooms, accommodating up to 16 delegates.
In-keeping with its budget business model, the City Road Travelodge is offering rooms from £26 per night until the end of December 2007. The standard room rate will then increase to £95 per night.
Travelodge plans to become London's largest hotel brand in time for the 2012 Olympics and currently has three more London hotels in the pipeline (with a further 16 planned for the next five years). December will see the opening of Travelodges in Euston and Heathrow Terminal 5, and a further property is due to open in Southwark early next year.
Grant Hearn, Travelodge's Chief Executive, said at the hotel's official opening: "This is a great day for everyone at Travelodge. The hotel is a clear indication that the low cost budget hotel model works in the most premium of locations – to be able to stay in the heart of the city for under £30 is a strong statement to the consumer. This hotel marks the start of our unprecedented programme of growth in London – we will be the biggest hotel brand by the time of the London Olympics".
Travelodge London City Road
1-23 City
Road
London EC1Y 1AE
Tel: +44 (0)871 984 6333
travelodge.co.uk
Report by Karen
Eeuwens
